The present invention relates to bed and mattress structures and particularly to mattress structures which may be customized for individual users at the point of sale. The mattress of the present invention may be delivered to the user in a variety of forms assembled from kits provided at the point of sale to accommodate the musculoskeletal condition of the user. The mattress may also be customized at the factory or at some assembly location other than the point of sale based on a customer""s reaction to a test mattress used at the point of sale, the test mattress comprising a plurality of air bladders arranged under the user with a system for recording air pressures producing the desired support and firmness for the user. These bladder air pressures may be converted at the factory to equivalent foam core structures having the desired support and firmness characteristics.
It is well known to provide foam support pads or mattresses for supporting a user reclining on the pad. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,879,776; 5,038,433; 5,077,849; 5,111,542; and 5,172,439, all to Farley, disclose mattress overlays and pads for supporting a user. In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,261 to Magnusson and U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,244 to Walker disclose mattress borders for receiving core mattresses, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,488 to Hutchinson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,744 to Peck et al.; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,424,600 and 4,435,864 to Callaway, disclose supporting surfaces having selectively adjustable firmness.
What is needed is a mattress that can be prepared using a mattress kit for customizing the mattress either at the point of sale or at a factory using data generated at the point of sale to provide a user with a mattress having reduced interface pressure while providing the user with his or her individually desired support and firmness characteristics. The improved mattress should be capable of side-by-side customization when the mattress is sized for use on queen-sized beds and king-sized beds so that two sleeping partners are each provided with their individually desired support and firmness characteristics on the same bed. The improved mattress should also be compatible with an articulating bed so that the mattress can be moved to a variety of positions selected by the user.
In addition, the improved mattress should be provided with features such as a xe2x80x9cwarm air releasexe2x80x9d to warm the extremities of the user, multiple longitudinal zones that can be controlled to vary the support and firmness characteristics perceived by the user, and it should be provided with a hand held controller having a key pad including a display that is easy to read to determine the status of various features of the bed, buttons that are located for convenient manipulation for adjusting various aspects of the bed and mattress structure, and memory setting capability for matching a desired bed deck position with desired firmness and support characteristics so that by simply pressing one button the bed automatically moves to the user-selected position and the mattress automatically assumes the user-selected firmness and support characteristics selected for each zone of the mattress.
According to the present invention, a plurality of mattress structure components is provided. The components are arranged for selective assembly of the components to provide a customized mattress structure at the point of sale to accommodate the musculoskeletal condition and interface pressure preference of the user. The mattress structure components include a perimetral frame having a head end foam section, a foot end foam section, and longitudinally extending side foam sections joining the head and foot foam sections to provide a longitudinally extending foam frame. The foam frame has a central opening above which the user will rest and the frame sections have upper surfaces lying generally in the same common plane.
The mattress structure components additionally include a plurality of cores for filling the central opening. The cores are provided in a variety of firmness and support characteristics such that various combinations of firmness and support can be provided. A plurality of toppers cover the frame and the central opening and the selected cores therein. The plurality of toppers include toppers having various firmness and support characteristics and can be made from foam rubber and can include air bladders, water bladders, or bladders for containing other fluids.
In preferred embodiments, the mattress is supported by an articulating deck having longitudinally spaced head, seat, thigh, and foot sections. The head, thigh, and foot sections of the illustrative articulating deck are movable relative to each other. The head, thigh, and foot sections are infinitely adjustable between a generally planar sleeping position and reclining positions to allow the bed to attain any desired position within the range of movement of the head, thigh, and foot sections, thus accommodating changes of position of the user on the bed. Preferably, the range of movement of the foot section is limited to positions generally parallel to the seat section and the downward range of movement of the thigh section is limited to the sleeping position so that the feet of the user remain elevated above the torso of the user.
The mattress is suitable for use with such an articulating deck. The mattress includes a head portion for supporting the scapula and the lumbar of the user, a seat portion for supporting the user""s sacrum, a thigh portion for supporting the thighs of the user, and a foot portion. Each named mattress portion is associated respectively with the head, seat, thighs, and feet of the person resting on the sleeping surface of the bed as well as with the underlying head, seat, thigh, and foot sections of the deck.
The mattress includes a mattress cover having a top mattress cover and a bottom mattress cover attached to the top mattress cover by a perimetral zipper. The top and bottom mattress covers define a mattress interior receiving a plurality of mattress structure components. The zipper is positioned so that the bottom cover can be placed on a surface and used as a template for building the mattress with a xe2x80x9cbottom upxe2x80x9d assembly technique placing the components on the bottom of the mattress on top of the bottom cover and building the other components thereon. The zipper is also positioned to facilitate a xe2x80x9ctop downxe2x80x9d assembly by starting with the top cover and first adding the components on the top of the mattress to the top cover and building the other components thereon.
The mattress structure components include a frame preferably made from a relatively firm foam rubber such as a high resiliency, high density urethane foam. The frame is positioned generally along the perimeter of the mattress. Use of a relatively firm foam provides support characteristics that aid users as they ingress and egress to and from an upwardly-facing sleeping surface of the mattress and that prevent the user from rolling off of the sleeping surface. The frame is formed to include a central opening beneath the sleeping surface and above which the user will rest.
A plurality of cores including air bladders, xe2x80x9czone foamxe2x80x9d elements, xe2x80x9csculptured foamxe2x80x9d shaped from foam blocks, and combinations thereof are provided for filling the central opening. The cores are selected to customize the firmness, support, and interface pressure characteristics to meet the individual desires of each user. To customize the mattress in such a fashion requires considering the combination of each individual""s height, weight, body type, weight distribution, health conditions, and preferences.
The preferred method for customizing the mattress is initiated when a potential user completes a questionnaire to aid in the analysis of that user""s xe2x80x9csleep profile.xe2x80x9d The sleep profile assesses such factors as the user""s general health and sleep habits. A firmness recommendation is computed either in terms of a pressure for various zones of a xe2x80x9ctest mattressxe2x80x9d containing an air bladder or in terms of a foam type and density for each zone. In addition, a surface recommendation is established based on the user""s responses to a surface recommendation questionnaire.
Once the surface and hardness recommendations are established, the user lies on a test sleeping surface containing an air bladder that is pressurized to match the firmness recommendation. Zones of the air bladder are then adjusted to match the preferences of the user and the resulting preferred firmness readings are recorded. An algorithm has been developed that translates the preferred firmness readings into a customized bed configuration. For example, the preferred firmness readings can be translated to establish the foam density that, if incorporated into a mattress will provide the firmness and support characteristics similar to those provided by the test sleeping surface having the preferred firmness readings.
Once the customized bed configuration is established, a mattress can be assembled from a kit at the point of sale containing the plurality of cores for the user to test and verify that the mattress meets his or her preferences. If the mattress is not satisfactory, it can be adjusted at the point of sale. Once the user is satisfied, he or she can immediately take delivery of the completed customized mattress if desired. In the alternative, once the customized bed configuration is established, the data describing this configuration can be transmitted to a factory at which the mattress is assembled for delivery to the user.
In preferred embodiments, the mattress in accordance with the present invention can be sized for a twin bed, a double bed, a queen-sized bed, or a king-sized bed. When the mattress is sized for queen- and king-sized beds, both sides of the mattress can be individually customized if desired to provide the firmness and support characteristics desired by individual sleep partners by customizing the core and customizing the topper to provide the desired firmness and support for each side of the bed. In such a xe2x80x9cside-by-sidexe2x80x9d customization, the core and toppers supporting each user on separate halves of the mattress are distinct and separate. Having distinct and separate cores and toppers facilitates this customization while also serving to minimize the transmission of motion from one half of the mattress to the other when one of the sleeping partners moves.
As mentioned above, the mattress can be provided with an air bladder having independent zones that are selectively adjustable by the user to provide varied firmness and support characteristics. If the same mattress is used on a bed having an articulating deck, the mattress can be provided with a hand held controller for use by the user that controls the adjustment of both the position of the deck and the support characteristics of each bladder zone. In addition, the hand held controller can include a xe2x80x9cmemory setxe2x80x9d feature which allows the user to establish preferred deck and mattress combination settings.
For example, the user may desire a first set of support characteristics at each zone of the mattress when the deck is in a generally planar sleeping position. The user could establish this set of characteristics as the first memory setting. The user may also desire a different set of support characteristics at each zone of the mattress when the deck is positioned in a reclining position away from the generally planar sleeping position. If the user establishes this second set of characteristics as the second memory setting, the user can automatically move the bed and mattress structure to either of the first or second set of characteristics by simply pressing a button. Of course, even with these memory settings established, the user can move the bed and mattress to other positions as desired.
In addition, the mattress can be provided with combinations of air bladders, zone foam elements, and sculptured foam to produce a xe2x80x9ccombination mattress.xe2x80x9d For example, the mattress can be provided having an air bladder supporting the scapula, foam supporting the lumbar, an air bladder in the seat portion supporting the sacrum, and foam supporting the thighs and legs. If desired, the air bladders can be in fluid communication so that they inflate and deflate at the same times and to the same pressures or the air bladders can be independent of one another and independently controlled by the user so that they user can establish different characteristics of support and firmness for each of the scapula and the sacrum.
It is therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a unique mattress structure which may be customized for individual use to provide the optimum health and comfort characteristics for the user and also to provide, for use with such a mattress, an articulating frame. In some embodiments of the present invention, the mattress comprises air cores or air bladders arranged in longitudinally spaced zones and a control system for controlling the firmness of the zones of the mattress with respect to various positions of the articulating frame so that the user can customize the mattress for his or her preferred firmness and support characteristics at any angular position of the deck. In other embodiments, the mattress comprises a sculptured foam core or a plurality of longitudinally spaced foam zone cores or blocks selected to match the musculoskeletal condition of the user.
The mattress of the present invention may be assembled at the point of sale to comprise a foam perimetral frame defining a longitudinally extending central opening above which the user will rest and into which various core structures from a supply of different core structures may be selectively placed. For example, the central space may be filled with an air bladder core, the pressure of which may be controlled and such air cores may have one zone throughout the length of the space or a plurality of longitudinally spaced air zones or air bladders throughout the length of the space, for example, one zone for the head and shoulder portion supporting the scapula and the lumbar, one zone for the seat portion supporting the sacrum, one zone for the thigh portion, and one zone for the foot portion. In other cases, the central space may be filled with a sculptured foam core or a plurality of foam zone cores or blocks which are selected from a variety of zone foam blocks having various characteristics of support and firmness. The frame with the filled core opening may be covered with one or more toppers, each of which may be selectively picked from a stock of toppers to give the user a desired comfort.
It is another object of the present invention, therefore, to provide, at the point of sale where the user will be available, a modular kit for constructing a mattress which has the firmness and body support characteristics best suited for the user. The present invention contemplates that a plurality of cores of various characteristics will be stocked along with the foam frames and plurality of toppers. Each mattress may be customized by selecting components from the stock of parts at the point of sale. For ease of transportation, the selected assembly may be given to the user at the point of sale in knocked-down-assembly or KDA form for transportation home and reassembly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide, in combination with such a mattress, an articulating frame of the type typically referred to as a hospital bed frame. Such articulating frames have a movable head and shoulder section which includes the lumbar section, a fixed seat section, a movable thigh section and a movable foot section. It is well known that the head and shoulder section tilts upwardly from the horizontal position to an upper position and selected points therebetween. The seat section is typically fixed to stay horizontal. The thigh section typically tilts upwardly from the seat section and the foot section typically remains generally parallel to the seat section. These head and shoulder, seat, thigh and foot sections are longitudinally spaced on an articulating frame. It is also well known that these articulating frame sections may be selectively moved by all sorts of drive means including elective motor driven systems, hydraulic systems or pneumatic systems. It will be appreciated that, in accordance with the present invention, various mechanical and electromechanical actuators and drivers may be used to raise and lower the intermediate frame on the base frame as well as to raise and lower individual deck sections relative to the intermediate frame.
It is well known in the hospital bed art that electric drive motors with various types of transmission elements including lead screw drives and various types of mechanical linkages may be used to cause relative movement of portions of hospital beds. It is also well known to use pneumatic actuators to actuate and/or move individual portions of hospital beds. As a result, the terms xe2x80x9cmeans for raising and loweringxe2x80x9d in the specification and in the claims, therefore, are intended to cover all types of mechanical, electromechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic mechanisms, including manual cranking mechanisms of all types, for raising and lowering portions of the hospital bed of the present invention.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a control system for an articulating frame with the control system comprising a computer and software designed to preselect air bladder firmness to accommodate various articulated positions of the frame sections.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for selecting mattress structure components to provide a customized foam mattress structure to accommodate the musculoskeletal condition of the user comprising the steps of providing a plurality of mattress structure components arranged for selective assembly of the components, the components comprising a plurality of foam cores for filling a longitudinally extending central opening in a mattress, the foam cores having a variety of shapes and support and firmness characteristics from which to select a desired assembly. A test mattress is also provided having a similar longitudinally extending central opening filled with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart air bladders extending transversely across the central opening and an air supply for selectively filling each air bladder to various pressures. A user is placed above the central opening supported on the plurality of air bladders. The air pressure in each bladder is adjusted to a selected pressure to provide the support and firmness desired by the user. Then, using the air pressure established for each bladder, an equivalent foam core is selected to have the desired support and firmness characteristics corresponding to the air pressure readings. The selected equivalent foam core is placed in the central opening to provide the customized mattress. The selected equivalent foam core may comprise a plurality of transversely extending zone foam blocks to occupy the positions, respectively, of the air bladders in the test mattress with each zone foam block having firmness and support characteristics corresponding to the selectively determined air pressure of its associated air bladder. Further, the selected equivalent foam core may comprise a sculptured foam core having a width and a length conformingly to fit into the central opening with transversely extending, longitudinally spaced sections of the sculptured core being shaped and formed, to provide firmness and support characteristics corresponding to the selectively determined air pressures of their respective associated air bladders in the test mattress. It will be appreciated that software having appropriate algorithms may be used for making the selection of foam cores to match the selected air pressure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a control system for such a bed and mattress structure with the bed having such an articulating deck with movable sections. The control system comprises means for controlling the drive means for tilting the deck sections to various desired positions, means for controlling the air supply for filling the air bladders to desired air pressures, and a microprocessor and software for controlling the drive control means and the air supply control means to establish the desired frame positions and corresponding bladder pressures. The software of the present invention may be programmed to permit the user to preselect desired air pressures in the bladders to correspond to various positions of the deck sections. The software may also be programmed to permit the user to preselect and store in the control system various desired frame section positions and corresponding pressures. The control system of the present invention may include a receiving control unit mounted on the bed structure and a portable, hand-held remote transmitting control unit for actuation by the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress structure comprising an elongated sculptured foam mattress core having a head end, foot end, longitudinally extending sides, a bottom surface and an upper surface above which the user rests. This sculptured core has longitudinally spaced apart, transversely extending sections to be under, respectively, the head and shoulder, seat, thigh and feet of the user. At least some of the core sections are sculptured by removal of foam by transversely extending cuts from the upper surface of the core to provide sections having desired firmness and support characteristics. These transversely extending cuts may illustratively extend between the sides of the core to provide transversely extending grooves having selected depths and longitudinal spacing therebetween to provide upwardly and transversely extending ridges for supporting the user, each of the ridges having support and firmness characteristics determined by the firmness of the foam and the longitudinal and depth dimensions of the grooves. Such a core may also be provided with longitudinally spaced, transversely and upwardly extending cuts in the lower surface to accommodate the tilting movement of the mattress by the bed frame upon which the mattress is placed, the lower surface cuts being longitudinally spaced to accommodate tilting movement of the head and shoulder, seat, thigh and feet section of the core. A foam frame may be placed about such a sculptured core in accordance with the present invention. At least one foam topper may be placed above the frame and core-upper surface with the toppers selected to have desired support and firmness characteristics. In addition, a foam and fiber pillow top (foam covered with a fiber fabric) also selected to have desired support and firmness characteristics may be placed on top of the topper.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress structure comprising a bottom layer of material providing an upwardly facing rectangular platform upon which the mattress rests and defining the ends and sides of the mattress, a perimetral rectangular frame comprising foam side and end sections to provide a longitudinally extending central opening above which the user will rest, a core structure for filling the central opening, at least one foam topper covering the frame and the core structure, and a mattress cover enclosing the bottom layer of material, frame, core structure and topper. In accordance with the present invention, the mattress cover is provided with an opening adjacent the bottom of the mattress and through which the mattress is designed for either bottom-up or top-down assembly through the mattress cover opening. Top-down assembly includes, for example, sequentially placing the topper, frame, core structure and bottom layer of material to build the mattress structure, while bottom-up assembly includes sequentially placing the bottom cover, frame, core structure, and topper to build up the mattress structure. The mattress cover opening may be defined by a perimetral zipper closure along the perimeter of the bottom of the mattress.
Another object is to provide such a mattress with a double wide frame providing first and second longitudinally extending openings above which separate users will rest. A first core structure is provided for filling the first opening and a second core structure is provided for filling the second opening. The first and second core structures have firmness and support characteristics separately customized for their separate users in accordance with this invention.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a mattress structure comprising an air heater arrangement disposed in the mattress to provide a xe2x80x9cwarm air release,xe2x80x9d preferably to warm the extremities of the user. The top cover of the mattress can be formed to include an enclosed channel receiving air from a source of compressed air. The enclosed channel is preferably made from a light weight and air impermeable material so that air is directed along the length of the channel. The material is formed to include small openings that direct a small volume of air from the channel across the surface of the mattress. This xe2x80x9ccool air releasexe2x80x9d can improve the comfort of the user.
In addition, an air heater is interposed between the source of compressed air and the channel so that heated air can be supplied to the channel. The air heater can be selectively operated so that when the air heater is operating, the released air is warm, the xe2x80x9cwarm air releasexe2x80x9d warming the user. Preferably, the warm air is directed to warm the extremities of the user. In preferred embodiments, a valve is positioned between the source of compressed air and the channel so that the channel can be operated or not operated at the discretion of the user.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.